1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a flow control apparatus and more particularly, to an inline flow control valve apparatus having a flow sensor for a flowmeter system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Canadian Pat. No. 1,101,823 to Eugene O. Lee is entitled "Erosion Control Trim for a Control Valve". The disclosed "choke" valve includes a T-shaped angled flow valve body in which the valve stem is axially aligned with the outlet and is operably connected to a reciprocating flow control sleeve element. A cylindrical valve seat forms a sidewall having a plurality of oppositely disposed ports radially spaced is sealingly secured adjacent the valve outlet. The desired flow is inwardly through the ports to direct the flow to impinge upon itself at the center of the valve seat to reduce seat erosion. The cylindrically shaped reciprocating sleeve valve is concentrically disposed about the outer cylindrical sidewall to control or regulate the inwardly flow through the ports.
French Pat. No. 1,186,275 by Bourquin et al discloses a flow control valve having a movable sleeve valve member concentrically disposed about a fixed seat member having a plurality of radially disposed ports for directing the flow inwardly to impinge upon itself. The valve outlet is disposed at a right angle to the inlet.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,132,386 to Lee also discloses a choke valve mechanism having an angled or T-shaped valve body to position the inlet and outlet at right angles. A tubular valve seat having a central flow port and an outer sidewall having a conical portion adjacent to its top portion and a cylindrical lower portion is secured with the valve body adjacent the outlet. A closed end sleeve valve member is operably connected to a valve stem for effecting the desired operating movement of the sleeve. In the closed position, the sleeve is adapted to sealingly engage around the outer cylindrical sidewall of the seat member and may be spaced from the outer sidewall of the seat member to enable controlled flow through the central opening of the tubular seat.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,921,672 to Arnold discloses a flow choke or restriction designed for providing a predetermined pressure drop to the fluid flow. The tubular choke has a closed end and is provided with a plurality of radially spaced oppositely disposed orifices or ports for inwardly impinging the flow to minimize choke erosion. The total flow area through the parts determines the pressure drop.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,927,767 to Ray discloses a valve seal construction particularly suitable for high velocity fluid flow having an axially aligned inlet and outlet. A movable poppet disposed orthogonal to the inlet and outlet controls flow through the valve which is provided with a protected soft seat.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,782,800 to Hillebrand discloses a faucet having a movable sleeve closure member with radially disposed ports formed therein.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,954,044 to Guildford discloses a modified form of a conventional globe valve having a movable tubular closure element and a protected soft seat.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,111,229 to Christian discloses a ball valve having a flow regulating choke disposed in the ball closure element flow port. The flow regulatory choke is a multiple orifice valve similar to that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,207,181 or U.S. Pat. No. 3,426,797.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,226,263 to Muchow also discloses a ball valve including a movable erosion control trim flow regulating choke disposed in the rotatable ball element flow port. The ball element is used to close off or shut-in the flow while the sliding choke is extended from the ball element to enable controlled flow when the ball element is rotated open. Both the Muchow and Christian valves required a complex and expensive dual operator mechanism for operating the flow regulating choke and ball.
A compact fast acting inline valve having a substantially straight through flow path and an erosion control trim is disclosed in co-pending patent application Ser. No. 763,547, filed Aug. 8, 1985, to John D. Muchow. The assignee of the Muchow patent application, Hydril Company, is the same assignee of the present invention.
Some of the prior conventional flow measuring systems or instrumentation is disclosed in the Hydril Company bulletin 5126-A entitled "Selection and Application of Flow Measurement Instrumentation", 91 pages, dated August, 1983. The conventional flow measurement sensor instrumentation includes, but is not limited to, the following; positive displacement flowmeters, differential pressure flowmeters, turbine or propeller type flowmeters, vortex shedding flowmeters, fluidic flowmeters, electro-magnetic flowmeters, target flowmeters, variable area flowmeters, ultrasonic flowmeters and thermal flow flowmeters.
All of the above-identified patents, patent application and publication are hereby fully incorporated herein as written description by this specific reference for any and all purposes as completely as if such patents, patent application and publication were set forth verbatim herein.
In addition to the previously selected and identified patents, Applicant's assignee is also the owner of numerous additional patents and patent applications disclosing valves, flowmeters and components therefore. Many other inventors have also been active in developing this useful technology as have been considered above. It is to be understood that other patents not mentioned herein may be as equally relevant as prior art to those that are mentioned, but that best efforts have been made to identify and consider the best prior art.